Are you also wondering, what are the possible dishes you can make from Saskatoon Berry? Then this article is for you. We have curated a list of amazing recipes you can make from these beautiful berries.
Amelanchier alnifolia is an edible, purplish-black fruit that looks incredibly similar to wild blueberries in shape and size. But despite how they look, the plant comes from the Rose family, and the berries are closely related to the apple family.
1. Saskatoon Berry History
The plants can vary in size. The fruits grow on large, native, deciduous large shrub native to North America.
The shrub can grow up to 1 meter in height, or a small tree can grow up to 16 feet tall. The tree has greyish-red barks and branches, along with thin, oval leaves.
The mature bushes carry beautiful white flowers every year, during spring. Saskatoon plants begin to bear fruit when they are 2-4.
Saskatoon gets its name from the Cree term “Mis-sask-quah-too-mina.” For generations, indigenous North American peoples consumed Saskatoon Berries and wild berries.
They have been consumed in a variety of ways by Indian tribes. Berries supplied them with much-needed minerals and vitamins and flavor and enjoyment sweetness.
2. Health benefits
There are many Saskatoon berry benefits as they have several compositional and functional properties.
They are rich in fiber, protein, antioxidants, nutrients, vitamins, and minerals, such as Iron, Vitamin C, anthocyanins, magnesium, calcium, and potassium.
It contains more nutrients than most meats and vegetables! It helps improve and maintain your health by fighting cancer and reducing the risk of cardiovascular diseases.
The fruit has a lot of antioxidants that are found in the natural purple pigment.
This helps have anti-aging and anti-inflammatory properties. It helps reduce cardiovascular and inflammatory diseases and protects the immune system.
3. Uses of Saskatoon Berry
In the olden days, they were used as a component in pemmican and as a medicine for an array of illnesses.
Today the most common use for Saskatoons is as an ingredient for desserts. It can be used in muffins, pies, dressings, jams, tarts, scones, sauces, and others.
It can also be used in cider, wine, and other liquors.
Saskatoons can be eaten fresh and raw, cooked, dried, or canned.
3.1 Animal uses
Many animals, like deer and moose, consume the berry in the colder months. Even birds feed on the fruit during summer, providing them with good nutrition.
3.2 Traditional uses by indigenous people
The fruit can be included in stews, soups, meat dishes, and dried cakes. The berry’s juice is often used to treat stomach ailments since it is a mild laxative. The juice can also be used to make eardrops and eye drops.
The stems of the berry can be made into pipes and arrows.
3.3 Other uses
It is also used to help rejuvenate disturbed sites and is considered an important food for many people today.
4. Recipes
4.1 Saskatoon Berry Clafoutis
While you can make a Clafoutis in a hundred lovely ways, this recipe is beyond adding just another fruit. The almond-like flavor of Saskatoon berries is enhanced with some freshly ground almonds, making for a wonderful and easy dessert slash breakfast.
Ingredients
Batter
- Three eggs
- 1.25 cups of milk
- 1 tsp vanilla essence
- Pinch of salt
- 1/2 cup of flour
- 1/3 cup of sugar
To Bake
- 1 tbsp butter to grease the pan
- 1 tbsp sugar to sprinkle in the pan
- 250 g Saskatoon berry
- 2 tbsp freshly ground almonds
- Powdered sugar for garnishing
- Candied lemon peel
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 160°C or 325°F.
- Mix all the batter ingredients in a mixer or a whisk. Blend until smooth.
- Grease a big cast-iron pan with butter. Crumble the sugar all over the butter, making sure it is even.
- Pour the batter into the pan, then add the Saskatoon throughout the mixture, spreading evenly.
- Sprinkle the ground almonds all across the surface of the pan.
- Place in the oven and bake until the Clafoutis is puffy and golden-brown on the top ( around 35-40 minutes). Pierce the center with a toothpick to make sure it’s cooked through.
- Lightly dust with powdered sugar, garnish with candied lemon peel (optional) and serve hot.
4.2 Saskatoon Berry Jam
You can have the jam swirled into yogurt on your favorite toast, as a sandwich spread, or even as a part of a cheeseboard.
The chunky texture of the jam brings out the flavors of the berries!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups of Saskatoon berry
- 2 tbsp of sugar
- 1 tbsp water
Instructions
- Take a small saucepan and add all the ingredients to it.
- Cook without a lid over medium-high heat for 15 minutes until the berries turn soft and mushy. Mash some berries with a spoon.
- Continue cooking until the syrup thickens into a jam.
- Pour the jam into mason jars. Let it cool down. Place the covered jars into the refrigerator for up to one week.
4.3 Saskatoon Berry Oatmeal Cookies
The berries enhance the coconut and cinnamon flavors in this soft and delicious Saskatoon Berry Oatmeal Cookie. This combination of flavors is truly delicious!
Ingredients
- ¾ cup of butter
- ¾ cup of brown sugar
- ¼ cup of white sugar
- One egg
- 1 tbsp of milk
- 1 tsp of almond extract
- One ¼ cup of flour
- 1 tsp of cinnamon
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- a pinch of salt
- 2 ½ cups of rolled oats
- 1 ½ cups of Saskatoon berry
- ¼ cup of unsweetened coconut
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 175°C or 350°F. Grease the cookie tray.
- Mix the wet ingredients- butter, egg, sugar, almond extract, and milk until light and fluffy.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients- flour, salt, baking soda, and cinnamon and add to the wet mixture.
- Combine the coconut and rolled oats, mixing thoroughly. Gently fold in the Saskatoon, trying not to break the berries.
- Bake at 350°F for approximately 13 minutes. Please wait for it to cool until you can see that it has hardened.
4.4 Saskatoon Berry Muffins
The muffins are incredibly easy to make and are sure to turn out delicious. Whether you use Saskatoon, blueberries, or any other berry, these muffins are sure to please your taste buds.
Ingredients
- 3/4 cup of oil
- 1 cup of brown sugar
- 3 large eggs
- 2 cups of yogurt
- 3 cups of all-purpose flour
- 2 1/2 cups of quick oats
- 2 tsp of baking powder
- 1 tsp of baking soda
- 1/2 tsp of salt
- 2 cups of Saskatoon berries
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- In a bowl, combine the sugar and oil, and then slowly add the eggs one at a time, mixing well after each until the mixture turns creamy and thick. Add in the yogurt.
- Combine all the dry ingredients. Sift the dry ingredients into the wet mixture and combine well.
- Add the berries to the batter.
- Pour mixture into muffin tins lined with paper and bake for around 23 minutes until the muffins are golden-brown and springy to the touch.
5.5 Saskatoon Berry Pie
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh service berries
- ¼ cup water
- 2 tablespoons lemon juice
- ¾ cup white sugar
- 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
- 1 recipe pastry for a 9-inch double crust pie
- 1 tablespoon butter
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F (220 degrees C).
- Simmer berries in 1/4 cup water in a big saucepan for 10 minutes. Combine berries and lemon juice in a mixing bowl.
- Mix sugar and flour in a medium mixing basin, then toss in the berry mixture. Pour the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate lined with crust.
- Spread butter on top. Place the second crust on the pie and seal and flute the edges.
- Bake for 15 minutes in a preheated oven. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F (175°C) and bake for 35 to 45 minutes until golden brown.
Frequently Asked Question
1. What Does the Fruit Taste Like
Its taste could be sweet and nutty, similar to that of grapes, cherries, and almonds. Fully mature berries tend to be sweeter and richer in flavor but are also easily damaged since they’re softer.
2. What are some of its other know names?
The Saskatoon name is derived from the Cree word ‘misâskwatômina,’ which means ‘the fruit of the tree of many branches.’
It is called by various names, including Dwarf Shadbush, Western Juneberry, Pacific Serviceberry, Pigeon Berry, Alder Leaf Shadbush, Prairie Berry, Western Serviceberry, and Chuckley Pear.
3. in what seasons are Saskatoons berries become available?
Generally, the berries ripen around late June or early July- in spring and summer. But if the location and conditions are favorable, they can go up to late July.
Like their apple cousins, Saskatoons continue to ripen even after being picked from the plants. When frozen, the berries can even be enjoyed in winter and throughout the year.
4. What are its Growing conditions
Saskatoon berries can grow in almost any condition, from sea level to mountain peaks, and care less about soil conditions than Blueberries.
Even though the berries are largely forgiving of soil conditions, they prefer sandy loam. They don’t bode well with poorly drained or heavy clay soils.
Very popular in British Columbia and the north central united states, The Amelanchier alnifolia or the saskatoon berry as the indigenous peoples call them are a perfect delight to eat. Also, their plant becomes beautiful whenever its flowering occurs so it is perfect for growing in your backyard.
It is important to take care of the surroundings of young plants. The most suitable pH values are between 5.5-7, but they can still grow in a much broader pH spectrum.
The plants are found along roadsides, in swamps, and woods. We hope we managed to give you the information you were looking for! Check out our other articles as well.
Last Updated on by Priyanshi Sharma